Digital information exchange in terrorism cases : stronger justice, safer Europe : practical guidelines for Eurojust national correspondents for terrorism matters.
Date: 2024-01-22
Institutions: European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation
Subjects: EU Member State, cross-border cooperation, cross-border dimension, data collection, database, exchange of information, fight against crime, judicial cooperation in criminal matters in the EU, terrorism

COUNTER-TERRORISM 
REGISTER

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Digital Information Exchange in Terrorism Cases
Stronger justice, safer Europe

Practical Guidelines for Eurojust National Correspondents 
for Terrorism Matters

Regulation (EU) 2023/2131 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 October 2023 amending 
Regulation (EU) 2018/1727 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Decision 2005/671/
JHA, as regards digital information exchange in terrorism cases introduces important changes to information 
exchange in terrorism cases, which will require adjustments at both the European Union Agency for Criminal 
Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) level and the national level.

The Eurojust case management system (CMS), which is the only database for the processing of operational 
personal data at Eurojust, is not able to accommodate all changes set out by the amended Eurojust 
Regulation. Therefore, the CMS will be re-designed and modernised (with full respect to the data protection 
by design and by default principles) to ensure Eurojust’s work is supported by a state-of-the-art digital 
infrastructure. This will make it possible to implement the amendments to the Eurojust Regulation in a 
comprehensive and efficient manner.

Transition period

Based on Article 80(9) of the amended Eurojust Regulation, Eurojust may continue to use the current CMS 
until 1 December 2025 if the new CMS is not yet in place. Since the processing of CTR information as required 
under the amended Eurojust Regulation is not possible within the existing CMS, the transitional period 
applies. Therefore, the CTR will continue to operate as it has until now and, until the new CMS is in place, 
Member States are advised to proceed as follows.

CTR template. Member States may continue to use the current CTR template to transmit CTR information 
to Eurojust. All categories of data included in the current CTR template are also included in Annex III to the 
amended Eurojust Regulation, despite some minor differences in certain designations. Please refer to your 
National Desk should you need a copy of the template in your language.

New categories of data. Categories of data listed in Annex III that are not included in the current CTR 
template will not be added to the template. Member States are not expected to transmit such categories of 
data to Eurojust during the transition period.

Persons subject to a final acquittal or a final decision not to prosecute. Due to technical limitations, it is 
not possible to store operational personal data of persons subject to a final acquittal or a final decision not 
to prosecute in the current CMS under the specific terms and conditions set out by the amended Eurojust 
Regulation. Such data will continue to be deleted from the CMS as soon as Eurojust is informed of the final 
acquittal or the final decision not to prosecute.

Detailed summaries or copies of judgments. Member States that wish to continue transmitting detailed 
summaries or copies of judgments to Eurojust on a voluntary basis in addition to the CTR template may do so 
on the basis of Article 21a(1) in combination with Article 21 of the amended Eurojust Regulation. In addition 
to link detection, information from judgments is relevant for the performance of Eurojust’s tasks under 
Articles 2, 4 and 22 of the Eurojust Regulation in support of ongoing proceedings. Following the approval 
of the respective Member State, anonymised information from judgments will continue to be used for the 
Terrorism Convictions Monitor and the Eurojust contribution to the EU Terrorism Situation and Trend report.

Link detection. Link detection will continue to be carried out on the basis of certain data identifying a natural 
person (e.g. first name, surname, date of birth, town of birth and country of birth), in conformity with the link 
detection functionality of the current CMS.

Data protection. Strict data protection rules will continue to be applied to CTR information. By default, CTR 
information will not be shared with another National Member or desk, Liaison Prosecutor or their national 
authorities. In case of a potential link identified by the CMS, the national authorities that provided the 
information will be consulted by their National Desk at Eurojust on the further handling of that information.

Secure communication and transmission means. Until the channels of communication referred to in 
Article 22a(1) are available (see also the accompanying leaflet), the competent national authorities and 
Eurojust may continue to use existing channels of communication for operational data exchange.

Implementing acts

The European Commission shall adopt implementing acts necessary for the establishment and use of the 
decentralised IT system for communication under the amended Eurojust Regulation.

A specific implementing act will cover the arrangements for semi-automated and structured transmission of 
CTR information and other information under Article 21 of the Eurojust Regulation from national registers, 
including the data transmitted pursuant to Annex III, point d. The arrangements shall be determined by the 
Commission, in consultation with Eurojust.

The implementing acts shall be adopted at the latest by 1 November 2025.

Continuous dialogue and partnership with the Member States

Eurojust will continue the dialogue and partnership with the Member States in the implementation and 
functioning of the CTR. The Eurojust national correspondents for terrorism matters are welcome to share 
their feedback with their National Desks at Eurojust and exchange views during the Eurojust meeting on 
counter-terrorism. Eurojust will continue to work closely with the Eurojust national correspondents for 
terrorism matters to facilitate the implementation of the amended Eurojust Regulation.

Eurojust, Johan de Wittlaan 9, 2517 JR The Hague, Netherlands
Phone: +31 70 412 5000 - Email: info@eurojust.europa.eu - Website: www.eurojust.europa.eu

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© Eurojust, 2023. Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.

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ISBN 978-92-9404-013-8 
ISBN 978-92-9404-014-5 

doi:10.2812/428204 
doi:10.2812/10219 

QP-05-23-346-EN-N
QP-05-23-346-EN-C

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Digital Information Exchange in Terrorism CasesStronger justice, safer Europe